Fahey scores 1,000th career point in FSU victory

FITCHBURG -- Amy Fahey has been on fire for a good portion of her three-year career at Fitchburg State University.

The 5-foot-9 junior on the women's basketball team heated up once again Thursday night against visiting Anna Maria College.

Fahey, needing only eight points entering the night to join elite company in the 1,000-point scoring club, quickly reached the magical milestone less than three minutes in as the Falcons coasted to an impressive 85-55 victory in a game that was briefly halted late in the second half due to a fire alarm at the Recreation Center.

"They were joking around saying that the fire alarm went off because I scored 1,000 points," said Fahey, a 2010 graduate of Wilmington High School. "That was really funny and a coincidence, I think."

Fahey is the ninth FSU women's basketball player to enter the 1,000-point club.

"It's definitely emotional," said Fahey, fighting back happy tears. "One of the girls on the team starting crying. Everyone's just really happy about it, and it's awesome that the team is happy and we can all celebrate it together because it really is a team accomplishment."

Stephanie Payette -- a North Middlesex Regional grad -- was the last Falcon player to accomplish the feat in 2009. Lynn Dorow (1988-91) holds the program's all-time scoring mark with 1,476 points.

"She's got a real chance (to break the record), but I always tease her that I don't want her to give up fourteen-hundred-and-something points, I want her to be a complete player," FSU coach Walter Paschal said.

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"She's really a nice kid and a special kid. She deserves everything she gets, but we're going to push her to be even better."

Over the winter break, Fahey came close to the 1,000 points during the Key Largo Classic in Tavernier, Fla. The Falcons finished as the runner-up to UMass Boston and Fahey was named to the all-tournament team, scoring 21 points in the first round against Elmira (56-47 win) and seven in the final.

"It would have kind of stunk if it was in Florida because there weren't many people there," said Fahey, who scored 590 points as a sophomore.

But Fahey got her wish of scoring the milestone bucket on her home floor and in front of her family and friends.

"It's definitely a really nice feeling because my whole family was here," Fahey said. "A lot of my old teammates surprised me and friends from home which was amazing. It was awesome that we were home to celebrate the whole home crowd. It's definitely more of a team award because I'm not scoring all by myself."

Entering Thursday night, Fahey said she didn't know exactly how many points she needed to score.

"I didn't want to know because I would have gotten so much anxiety," she said.

Fahey broke the 1,000-point plateau quickly, too.

She scored on a fast-break layup to give the Falcons (6-5) a 5-0 lead and then added three free throws to get to within three points.

She raced out for another fast-break layup to creep to within one point.

And then it happened.

Taking a pass from former St. Bernard's star Kelsey Johnston, Fahey recorded her 1,000th and 1,001st career points via another vintage fast-break bucket with 17:02 left in the first half.

Moments later, with teammate Tori Cyrus on the line ready to shoot free throws, Fahey's milestone was recognized by the PA announcer, and the game was briefly stopped. Fahey was swarmed by her four teammates on the floor all while her teammates on the bench, family, friends and FSU supporters applauded her accomplishment.

"There were a group of friends and family sitting over in the corner and as soon at it happened they all stood up -- they printed my face off the website -- and they were cheering," recalled Fahey. "The bench was cheering, so I knew then that's what it was."

It's hard to believe Fahey's now part of elite scoring company, considering she didn't net 1,000 points in high school.

"I was 20 (points) or something away in high school," Fahey said.

On the court against Anna Maria, it was all Fitchburg State.

The Falcons raced out to a 19-4 lead in the first half and kept pouring it on the AmCats (3-8).

The victory was a total team effort, as Fahey led the way with a game-high 22 points on 9-of-19 shooting, while senior guard Madeline Merchant -- a Monty Tech grad -- dumped in a career-high 16 points to go along with nine rebounds.

"I went in and teased the girls and said the game ball goes to Maddy because she had a career-high 16 even though it was Amy's 1,000-point scoring," Paschal joked.

Johnston, a 6-foot senior center, added 10 points and seven rebounds, while junior Laura Cote -- a St. Bernard's grad -- chipped in with nine points and six rebounds.

"It was a good win and we needed it," Paschal said. "We needed to play well."

In the end, however, the night belonged to Fahey -- a total team-first player.

"I just want to play, and it's more important that we win," she said. "I'm happy that we won tonight, and it would have stunk if we didn't win and this happened."

Scoring 1,000 career points and watching the Recreation Center be evacuated during the game because of a fire alarm are memories Fahey will never forget.

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